The present invention relates generally to a voice response service apparatus. The present invention relates more particularly to a voice response service apparatus for quickly reproducing history data and changing a voice quality in accordance with attributes such as a sex distinction and an age classification of a telephone service user and also an operation environment of a target user.
A telephone service system of particular interest is known as a computer-assisted voice response service apparatus for making an automated response.
According to such telephone service, voices are emitted with a preset voice quality (speed, voice volume or BGM (background music)). This type of voice response service apparatus sets, when the telephone service is offered, the voice quality to a standard one adapted to, e.g., a given age group.
Such a voice response service apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 59-181767 and No. 3-160868. The voice response service apparatuses disclosed in those Patent Publications offer services for referring to a deposit balance by use of a voice recognizing device within the voice response service apparatus.
Further, an apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 61-235940 corrects an output level so that a voice output level through a telephone is always kept to a fixed value. With this correction, the user is able to easily hear the voice data.
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 61-235940, however, the user is required to designate a voice volume and a sex distinction in order to correct the output level. That is, the operation is troublesome because of the required manual correction.
Further, apparatuses disclosed in other remaining Publications did not offer services with the voice quality adapted to the user. This kind of voice response service apparatus was required to perform a subtle adjustment to provide easy understanding for the user by emitting a loud voice or slow speech depending on the user. For this reason, such a voice response service apparatus able to automatically change the voice quality according to ages and sexes of the users was needed.
Moreover, the above-described voice response service apparatus is capable of selling goods through telecommunications by making use of telephone service. This voice response service apparatus normally collects pieces of user's data and goods input data from the users as an item of history data.
In the above voice response service apparatus, when receiving an inquiry from the user due to order-sending trouble in terms of a type of goods ordered by the user, a quantity thereof, and an amount of money as well, it is required that the operation of the user be confirmed by tracing back the past history data.
Further, the above voice response service apparatus has hitherto, if a trouble would happen, required manual reproduction of the operation of the user on the basis of the history data.
The above-described voice response service apparatus, however, had to manually reproduce the history data if, e.g., order-sending trouble occurred. This was the only time-consuming, but also entailed an increased expenditure for personnel. In addition, there was a necessity for automatically following up where a malfunction occurred.
Furthermore, in this type of voice response service apparatus, there were manually performed a test for causing the order-sending trouble and a test for smoothly effecting the voice response service. Therefore, a considerable number of testing steps for maintenance, as well as for development, were needed.